Car-seat.



C. L. THOMPSON.v

CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED SEP-L15, 1915.

Patented Feb.2o,1917.

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C. L. THOMPSON.

' cAn SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I5 i915. 1,216,885.

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Patented Fe1e.20,1917.

tir-frein rrrrnnr sie CLARENCE L. THOMPSON, OF PORT VJASI-IINGTON, N EVTYORK, ASSIG'NOR TO HALEI ANID` KILBURN COMPANY, OF DELAWARE.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, CLARENCE L. THOMP- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Port lvashington, in the county of Nassau and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. inCar-Seats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway car-seats of the reversible-back type,and comprises a structure having numerous points of novelty andadvantage in comparison with the existing types of car-seat. Briefly, itmay be stated that my improved construction is adapted to be formedentirely of steel, as to its metallic parts, the structure thereforbeing much lighter and stronger than seats of malleable or cast vironconstruction. providing 'maximum cushion length for theA over-all lengthof the seat, the construction being such as to permit the seat-cushionto extend a greater distance toward the aisle and wall plates thanV hasbeen possible with other mechanisms in the past, while at the same timethe spaces between the ends of the seat-cushion and the adjacent aisleand wall plates, in which the striker-arms usually move, and in w-hichthere was always the danger of al passengers clothing being zanght, aredone away with. All the mechanism for moving the seat as the back isreversed is located beneath the seat in exceedingly compact 1 form, alnovel type of rocker and i'ecker-opcrating mechanism being provided,which results in various advantages which will be pointed Vouthereinafter. The rockers, it may be stated, ai'e operated preferably bymeans of an eccentric or cam mechanism and what may be'termed a icollapsing lever7 from the backstandards,

Y resulting in a short forward-and-back oscillation of the rocker overthe cross-rails onwhieh the rocker is supported, the necessary reversalof the seating inclination of the seat being. accomplished wiah a shortforwardand-back movement of the seat, insufficient to cause ltheseat-cushion to project beyond the ends of the aisleand wall plates, inwhich projected positions the seat-cushion is in the It alsoaccomplishes the purpose `of PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF CAR-SEAT.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 2()a 1917,

Application filed Septemberl, 1915. Serial No. 50,722. i

wayA Vof a passenger entering the seat.' The' arrangement ofseat-operating mechanisml doesaway with' the necessity for slotting theback-supporting standards, whereby the latter may be strongly andeconomicallyfmade.;

In my preferred construction, the' cross-rails of the seat are made oftubular section and secured to the wall and aisleplates by slipping theends of thetubes over' short stubs or ferrules onthe lwall vand aisleplates, the rails being held in place by means of cotterpins or thelike. By this means, the' construction is made muchmore economical',

strong and light than in previous constructions, vvhile 'the danger ofloosening bolts etc. is obviated.

The objects of my invention are" the provision of the improvedVconstructional vfeatures above briefly referred to and othersjliereinafter more fully described, which are combined to form myimproved devices.

In orderl that a clearer understanding of I my invention may be had,attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings, forming partofV this application and illus'- trating certain embodiments of myinvention. InA these' drawings,l Figure l repre-v sents anend elevationof a seat embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thesame; Figs. 3 and 4L are verticalsectxons taken on lines 8 3 and 4.-4-ofV Fig. 2, re- Y spectively; F ig. 5 is a partial plan view of theseat-operating mechanism, certain parts being shown in horizontalsection; Fig. tl is' a vertical section taken on line 0 6 of Fig.

5; and Fig. 7 is an enlargedhorizontal section, showing the connectionbetween a tubular cross-rail and rock-shaft and one of the end-plates.

Referring to the drawings, the cross-rails y aisle-plate.

which it is seen that short ferrules or stubshafts 5 are secured to thewalland aisleplates and the tubular rails 1 slipped over the same, thecross-rails and stubs being secured together' by any simple suitablemeans, such as the cotter-pins 6. Each short stub or ferrule 5 may besecured to the adjacent plate in any suitable manner, as by securing thesame to a flanged collar which is suitably secured to the wallor By theprovision of tubular rails, 1 gain both in cheapness and strenf incomparison with the solid rails of anginar section commonly used, whilethe use o' the ferrules or stub-shafts with Cotter-pins providesconnection with the walland aisle-plates of a. simple and efficientcharac' ter, which insures the proper alinement of the cross-railswithout any difliculty, while at the same time the use of bolts, whichare apt to work loose, is done away with. riihc tubular rails Vformbearing surfaces for the rockers, as will be hereinafter described.

The seat-cushion 8 is mounted upon theV rockers 9, 9, which latter bearupon the tubular rails 1, 1, as stated. rlhe back-cushion 10 is carriedby a pair of standards 11, 11, which standards carry rollers, 12, attheir lower ends, on the outer sides of the same, these rollers beingmounted in the channeltracks 13. Tracks 18 are the usual curvedchannel-tracks formed on the inner faces of the aisleand wall-plates,rollers 12 traveling through the same, in theusual manner, when the backis reversed.

tandards 11 are secured, as by screws 14C, to the ends of theback-cushion, and are each formed with an offset portion 15 to enablethe standard to clear the end of the seatcushion. The standard is bentinwardly underneath the seat, as shown at 1.6, from which point itextends downwardly to its lower end, which is provided with the rollersreferred tO.

' A pivot-pin for operating the rocker mechanism extends a considerabledistance lengthwise of the seat from the inner face of each standard,the seat-cushion considerably over-hanging the rocker-operatingmechanism at both ends. The desired position of the pivot-pin referredto is prefer-V ably arranged by me, by securing a strap 17,

bent in box section, to the inner face of the standard, pivot-pin 18extending inwardly, lengthwise of the seat, from the web or inner face19 of the boX structure 17 referred to. The mechanism for operating theseat is entirely below the same, as stated, and by the arrangementileseribed l am enabled to prolong the seat S into close proximity tothc standards lland the aisleand wall-plates, practically no space beingleft between the endsof the seat and the aisleand wallplates, exceptthat necessary for the move- Vversed from theV position shown in Fi-ln'ans 22, '22,' being provided at the outer ends of guides-21, 21,these horns being inwai-diy directed lengthwise ofthe rocher. lVhen thestandards and the back-cushion are inY their right-hand,position,referring to Fig. 3, the seat-cushion is supported with its left endelevated slightly, the right-hand rail 1 being under the iight-hand orupper edge of flange 20, with horn 22 below the same, while theleft-hand rail 1 is at the right o; lower end of the flange 20, whichrests upon the same. Villien the position of the baclris reversed, therockers are moved over the rails 1, into the reverse position, with theleft-hand rail 1, referring to Fig. 3, above the horn correspondingthereto, the seat-cushion being then inclined in thev opposite directionand moved sidewise a short distance corresponding to the oppositepositions of rails 1 with respect to guides 21.

Y rlhe roclrers are preferably operated by cam or eccentric movements,as stated. 1n the drawings, each rocker is provided, at a positionintermediate the cross-rails 1, 1, with a ring 23, mounted for rotationbetween the upper semi-circular flange Zei formed on the rocker, and acurved bearing strap 25 pivoted at 26 to the rocher and adapted to besecured at its opposite end at 27 to the rocker to form the lowerbearing therefor. The tubular rockor eccentricshaft QS is securedeccentrically within the outer' annulus n3 of each eccentric. The endsof tubular shaft 28 are rotatably supported on stub-shafts or ferrules28", on the end-plates, similar to stub-shafts 5 to which cross-rails 1are secured. lli-lever 29 is secured to tubular shaft QS, adjacent eachend of the same, each lever-member Q9 being formed with a longitudinallyslotted guideway 30 therein in which `the male levermeniber 31 isadapted to slide. Sliding member 31 is provided with a lengthwise slot3Q, in which the pivot-pin 1S of standard 11 is adapted to move. Thesideportions of member 29 are slotted, as shown at 232%, in, alincinentwith slot S2, to accommodate pivot-pin 1S when member 31 is telescopcdwithin member 29. YWhen the back is and it t the drawings, tubularrock-sha1 and eccentric 23 are oscillated, lever-niembei' 31 slidingdoiv-n into. lever-member 29 as the standard .passesover thefcenter, andbeing drawn out again as the standard approaches the opposite side oftheseat, the inclination of the seat being reversed as ,described.

In the movement described of the collapsing levers 29-31, the lattertravel in slots 34 inthe frame ofthe seat-cushion, these slotsconveniently being spaced between'the usual transverse slots of thecushion-frame. The spacing of the collapsing levers in line with thesespaces-or slots is conveniently ai'` ranged by having the pivot-pins 18extend inwardly a considerable distance from the standards l1, asdescribed. The box-section base 17 for pin 18 provides a strongstructure for this purpose. By the arrangement described the usualstriker-arm having a pivot-pin mounted in a slot in standard 11 iseliminated, whereby the lengthof the seat is increased, as'stated. Alsoby the elimination of the slots in the standards 11, the latter can bemade stronger and be manufactured more cheaply and efficiently.

It is obvious that my invention is not strictly limited to the exactdetails of construction described, my invention being apprehended to beas broad as is indicated by the accompanying claims'. The variousconstructional features and movements described coact to produce thedesired advantageous results referred to, but various of the portions ofmy invention described may be used without the others, in'the formdescribed, with advantageous results.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is y 1. In a car-seat, thecombination of a pair of cross-rails and supports for the same, areversible back, supporting standards therefor, a seat, rockerssupporting said seat and mounted for oscillatory movement on said rails,said rockers each having a circular opening therethrough with asemi-circular lupper flange, a curved bearing strap pivoted at one endto the rocker and adapted to be secured to the rocker at its oppositeend to form the lower bearing for said opening, said rockers havingcurved lower bearing surfaces contacting said rails, a rock-shaftparallel to said rails, extending eccentrically through the openings insaid rockers, rings secured on said shaft mounted for rotation withinsaid openings, between said upperV thereof, rockers supporting thesaine, a backsupporti-ng standard, movable past said seat cushion, andconnections between said standard and rockers for operating the ,latteras the lback is, reversed, comprising a lever mounted in a verticalplane, beneath said cushion, connected to operate said rockers andconnected to said standard by a pin and slotjconiliection, the pin ofwhich extends under said seat-cushion, said lever being movable in said`slot in the seat-cushion frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-seat, the combination of cross-` rails, a support therefor,an end-plate carried by said cross-rails, provided with a track, VareversibleV back, an end standard therefor extending closely adj acentvto said end-plate and having bearing means movably supported on saidtrack, a seat-cushion y of, a 'lever pivotally connected to said pin,

underneath said cushion, and means operated by said lever for rockingsaid rockers as the back is reversed, substantially as set forth.

4C. In a car-seat, the combination of crossrails, a seat-cushion,rockers supporting the same, resting on said rails, a back-supportingstandard, movable past said seat-cushion and having a pivot-pin'thereonextending under said seat-cushion, means for moving said rockers,including a shaft parallel to said rails, and means for rocking saidshaft comprising a lever secured to said shaft and having a slidewaythereon, and a lever slidably mounted in saidslideway and having a slottherein, in which said pivot-pin is mounted, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-seat, the combination of a seatcushion, having a verticalslo-t inthe frame thereof, rockers supporting the same, aY

back-supporting stand ard, m o vable past said seat-cushiony and havinga pivot-pin thereon extending` under said seat-cushion, a rockshaft,means for moving said rockers as said shaft oscillates, and means forrocking said rock-shaft, comprising a lever connected to said shaft andpivot-pin, and movable in said slot in the seat-cushion frame,substantially as set forth.

6. In a car-seat, thecoinbination of a seatcushion, vhaving a verticalslot in the frame thereof, rockers supporting the same, a backsupportingstandard, movable past said seatcushion and having a pivot-pin thereonextending under said seat-cushion, a rocksliaft, means for moving saidrockers as said shaft .oscillates, and means for rocking saidrook-shaft, Comprising a lever formed of rIbis specification signed andwitnessed this two portion71 one of /hich telescopes in tle 13th day ofSeptember, 1915.

other, mova e in sai slot in the seat-cus X l T ion frame," saidportions being connected to CLARENCE L' THOMPSON said pivot-pin androck-shaft to osoillate the Vtnesses:

latter by the movement of the formerl` subx S. O. EDMONDs,

stantially as set forth. I. MoINTosH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

Corrections in Lettersv Patent No. 1,216,885.

. York, for an improvement in Car-Seats, errors appear in the printed eIt is hereby vouertiied that n Letters Patent No. 1,216,8785pgra AmdFebruary 20, 1917, upon the applioationrof Clarence vL. Thompson, of`Port Wvashington New requiring Correction as follows: Page 1,1ne 17, forthe Word therefor read therefore; same page, vline 46,-for the Word Wahread with; page 3, line 1 0, for ,he

Word spaced read spaces; same'page, line 11, for the'Word Uslots readslate; an. d

that the said Letters Patent should be read rvivth these correctionstherein that the same may conform to thel record of the case in thePatent Office.

Signed and sealed this 20th day ofMareh, A. D., 1917.

F. W. H. CLAY,

[SEAL] Acting Oommfiseoner of Patents.

npecioaton

